What to do w/squirrel problems?

Question

I have lots of trees, so I have lots of squirrels- not always good cause they are invading my back yard and even my dog doesn't go after them. But they have killed so many of my plants as I see them in the potted plants and digging holes, etc. Any ideas what to do? Preferably friendly solutions please. ;-)

Luis · Answer

I have the same problem I trap them and take them to a park a few miles from my house, one year I trapped 26 unfortunately you have to do this every year.

Becky P · Answer

I just live with them. There is a nest in the neighbor's tree for the past few years. This year they were getting on my nerves because they were eating my almost red tomatoes. They also eat the peanuts I put out for the birds, but I figure, they have to eat too.

Johnathan Bing · Answer

i covered the top of my plants with chicken wire to keep the rat faced devils aka squirrels from eating my plant bulbs and digging in other pots.

SLS Construction & Building Solutions LLC · Answer

The only humane thing to do is trap & release - you can try owls, motion sensor sprayers but they generally quickly learn

Teri · Answer

Last year I trapped them and took them to a park. I must of taken at lease a dozen. This year they ate just the outside of my pumpkins. Just liked they shaved it. They can be a real problem. Time to get the trap out again.

Carly Swirtz · Answer

At our house in Minneapolis, we had to trap and release them. But I must admit I really enjoy them in our gardens by the North shore of Lake Superior. They leave my garden's alone, but every fall they entertain me! I sit in my garden and watch them leap from tree to tree collecting pine cones for the winter. We have extremely big pine trees and in the silence I hear hundreds of pine cones thrown to the ground. Then I get to watch them scurrying around to collect them!

Angie W · Answer

I would learn to get a long with the squirrels.....I'd feed them if I was you....:)

I miss the squirrels where I used to live...I used to feed them every day...I even named them by face or body characteristics.....There was Fatso, Scarface, Momma.......Fatso would 'play my windchime', so when I was upstairs and couldn't see him out back, I would hear him, then I'd come downstairs and he would be waiting outside the door........He also would climb up my screen door, and I would open it and hand him food out....People thought I was crazy,....but , I'm not..hahahha...I just love squirrels.....Popcorn was their favorite thing....When I'd start popping it, you would see them running into the yard..(They must have smelled it) ..I'd usually end up with about 8-9........
I really miss those squirrels....There are none where I moved to....Hardly any trees here....

Carole · Answer

I love squirrels but I do sympathise. We have possums that eat everything you plant and also the odd visiting wallaby ( he ate the leaves and buds off my dwarf lemon tree - the blighter!). Wildlife is a wonderful thing but not always conducive to having a lovely garden full of plants and flowers. I guess they gotta eat something!

Lori J · Answer

I used to like squirrels...until we bought a house in a neighborhood so overrun by them. It is entirely possible for a peacenik, animal loving hippee wannabe to get to the point where you start cheering for roadkill! My husband calls them fuzzy rats and I think he is absolutely right.

Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com · Answer

We used to trap and paint them with spray paint, Just a quick blast of a bright color then release them far away. when we would go back to the park several weeks later people were always talking about the funny colored squirrels they saw. and I would just smile to myself telling them they were seeing things.

As winter approaches you will find these buggers becoming more of a pain as they begin to bury their food for the winter. There is not a lot you can do other then to trap or kill them. A cat may deter them, but they will continue to return when the cat is not around. If you have trees that produce nuts, you need to rake them up every day to limit the amount they pick off of the ground to bury. Also if you can remove any nests found in the trees which can be hard to do, this will discourage them a bit more.

lastly you need to keep an eye on them. If you have a lot around they will in short order figure out how to enter into your attic to winter over. Once that starts you will have a bigger issue on your hands then just a few flower pots and plant issues.

Do not feed them, once you start that you will bring in even more. While they are fun to watch, they can be quite harmful to your home and garden. Your not helping them as well. Nature will provide to them what they need. Once you being feeding any wild animal they stop relying on their instinct and can suffer big time if you do not come out and feed them on a regular basis. And this goes for any wild animal.

Pat aka Queen of Thrift · Answer

Oak trees and acorns in the fall will keep them busy. Most of our large trees are on the outer perimeters of our yard and they usually hang out in that area. Occasionally one or two will come to the bird feeders but I keep the posts greased with petroleum jelly so that they cannot climb to the top. Now.....that is a funny sight because the little critters are very persistent!! They slip and slide for quite some time before giving up!

Cheryl stanley · Answer

I personally love the squirrels. they are the clowns in my yard and give me, my grandkids , and my cats and dogs hours of entertainment. I did have to put bells on the dogs collars to give the squirrels a chance to get away. they love to sit on the top of the 6 ft. fence or in the tree just out of reach and chatter and throw acorns at the dogs. drives my mutts nuts. my only complaint is they are pigs when I fill the feeders, but i do feed them. last year here in this part of the country, the drought was so severe that there were no acorns or walnuts produced for them to survive the winter. I just couldn't stand the thought of them starving to death. this year is some better, drought wise, but not much.

Jill Cooper · Answer

To keep cats out you can sprinkle cayenne pepper in the pot. Maybe it would help with the squirrels too. It doesn't hurt them - they just don't like the smell/taste.

Carolyn rogers · Answer

We have a pecan tree in our back yard that we've never gotten one pecan off of it.  the squirrels cut them out green and just leave them on the ground.  Have to try some of those traps.  where do you get them???

Gaild · Answer

First, and foremost, DON'T FEED THEM. The food is inviting them to come visit, and eat any and everything. Try to dissuade them. check out the info on this page. Good luck. https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+keep+squirrels+of+of+yard&rlz=1C1LEND_enUS515US515&oq=how+to+keep+squirrels+of+of+yard&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l3.6994j0&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Virginia A · Answer

I've read that you need to take them 25 miles away, since they have a strong instinct to return to their home territory where they've stored food. I'm not willing to use the gas for a 50 mile round trip. Since red squirrels are quite destructive (the US kind, not the UK kind), you don't want them getting into your house. A neighbor had his RV destroyed by them (chewed through the hydraulic lines). http://virginiaallain.hubpages.com/hub/get-rid-of-red-squirrels

Pauline Cobb Choate · Answer

Yes, we all have our issues with the little 'buggers'. I LOVE the squirrels around my gardens but, they DO cost me money. They chewed off all the sprinkler heads on our irrigation system this past spring. Odd, considering my home is surrounded by oak trees. I think I remedied that with a hot sauce concoction...time will tell I guess. I'm constantly having to un-plant the oaks that spring up in my potted plants. On the awwww side of things, this week I witnessed a squirrel relocating her babies. I had no idea they carried them in their mouths like a momma cat carries her kittens. Seeing that makes all the aggravating things they do not quite so bad. :-)

Marsha · Answer

Seems to me they are just part of God's critters that can add enjoyment and arghhh to our day. In my yard (Wyoming) they are very particular to spend their days in/by the trees. When I do feed them, I always put it under a certain tree. Maybe if you keep your important plants away from the trees the squirrels won't bother them? When the neighbor cut down all the big trees, all the squirrels moved to another tree area.

Evonne Kruger · Answer

I also have problems with Squirrels they like to bury Black Walnuts from the woods can't stop them but whenthey dig in flowers earlier I give them a good dose of red pepper, that keeps they away.

Shirley Steiniger · Answer

Didn't see any answers to the question to really fit the problem? I also am overrun by the pests! I have pecan and black walnut trees in my back yard, they are eats all my nuts so we don't get the benefit of having the trees! I know it is their nature but...how do I get rid of them?

James Austin · Answer

You can cut down the trees and concrete your yard.. If you are going to make a good habitat for them, the squirrels will come. You can trap them or kill them, and others will come.. your best bet is make allowance for them, plant extra stuff. If you attract a family of Redtail Hawks, your problem would be solved...

Carolyn rogers · Answer

Thanks so much Virginia

Marilee H · Answer

I don't mind them TOO much, except when they try to get into my birdfeeders. Then, my husband shoots at them with a paintball gun! Sounds bad, but he usually doesn't hit them, and if he does, it stings and marks them. The noise alone seems to scare them away.

Debbie · Answer

Every year with the change to fall season, they build a nest on my daughter car, right on the engine

Bobee-Kay Clark · Answer

We feed our squirrels to keep them out of our garden. Oh! When they start digging holes where we don't like, we poor dirty cat litter down the holes.

Larose LoganOakes · Answer

I had a real problem with tons of squirrels and chipmunks eating from my bird feeders until I got this new item at Walmart. I keep it loaded and next to my front door and whenever I hear the wind chimes ringing I know that the little devils are at it again and I quickly grab the weapon and wait at the front door. If I see them, I quietly sneek up on them and shoot at them. I might not hit them but it scares them away. It is funny because they freeze when they hear me at my front door and wait to see if I have the gun in my hand when I open the door. If I do they usually run away. If not then they continue eating. Little devils! I too have Hickory nut trees in my from yard and they will leave those on the ground if there is food in the bird feeders.I learned to buy bird feeders that have tiny holes and that makes it more difficult for them to eat from them. Also the feeders that I bought are glass and square and too big around for them to hold onto and try to eat from them.Here is what I bought and it does not hurt them it only scares them away. http://cdn.hometalk.com/resources/user_media/max/640x640/cjdx7huxct2q2ndoethh51d3bb224589e.jpg

April Lippert · Answer

I keep an old fashioned kiddie bicycle horn at the ready....when I see them on my feeders I hold the horn out the window and HONK HONK HONK!! scare the dickens out of them and they disappear for a while! I think I might get an airhorn which will be louder!! Good luck...they are pesky little critters!

Chatty Renee · Answer

Great advice and I really like the gun Larose...if they ever get in to your attic they can be a REAL problem..I have found they don't like moth balls but then your yard smells pretty bad, A friend did have them get into their attic and they ate wires and created quite the mess.. They put moth balls int he attic to get rid of them.

Robin Gray · Answer

i had them so bad but then i got cats and they ran them off or caught them

Candy Evans · Answer

I put black pepper in pots to discourage them, but have to re-do it every time I water. My squirrels also chew off small branches in the huge tree in my yard, so I have little branchlets all over the lawn.

What to do w/squirrel problems?

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What to do w/squirrel problems?

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